This morning I heard on CNN that we had reach a new marker in the War on Iraq: 4,000 service men are dead. However, from all indications, the Bush Administration has not indicated any change in strategy aside from “stay the course.” Reactions from the public seem to follow partisan lines: liberals want to start to pull the troops out to stop a long- term rise in the numbers while conservatives argue that we need to stay on so these lives are not given up in vain. Both arguments have merit.
However, new economic and historical realities are pushing the American people to seek a way out sooner rather than later. First, despite what President Bush wants to tell us, most Americans realize that we are in the midst of a recession. Regular gas prices have reached a new record today at $ 3.25 for regular averaged across the country. Housing prices are spiraling downward and the middle class is being squeezed like never before. With this in mind, how can the Republicans continue to insist on spending $ 12 Billion a month on Iraq or if you do the math roughly $ 5,000 a second? Does this make any sense when Osama Bin-Laden is still holed up in Afghanistan sending out monthly news letters?
Next, the long held argument that if the U.S. were to leave Iraq prematurely would cause a ‘domino-effect’ and destabilize the entire region to fall into the hands of Al-Queda. This is appearing less compelling when you look at two issues: this is another ‘expert’ projection from the same ‘experts’ who predicted WMDs in Iraq. Can you still trust the experts. Once bitten twice shy I say. Second, let’s look at history. When the U.S. finally pulled out of Vietnam in the 1970s, all manner of expert projections called for a ‘domino-effect’ with S.E. Asia falling into communist hands. Did that happen? No. In fact, the opposite occurred. S.E. Asian economies took off in the 70s, 80, through today. So, can anyone be so certain about the post US Middle East?
The time is now to call for a timetable for withdrawal.
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